


Security

by TheSovereigntyofReality



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: Gen, Speculation, Team Tony, Will probably be expanded later, inspired by comments, what if
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-17
Updated: 2018-11-17
Packaged: 2019-08-24 19:21:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16646174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSovereigntyofReality/pseuds/TheSovereigntyofReality
Summary: Funny what we do for safety, isn't it?





	Security

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [To intervene](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14750820) by [apathyinreverie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/apathyinreverie/pseuds/apathyinreverie). 



> **Disclaimer: If you recognise it from somewhere else, it isn't mine.**

Tony pressed a hand to his jaw as he studied Laura Barton in something akin to amusement.

_I’m sorry. Laura Howlett._

What Tony hadn’t realised before – what she’d only just told him – was that Laura had married Clint only out of a form of community protection. The community in question? Mutants. After S.H.I.E.L.D. genocide attempt on the Inhumans, something Tony was appalled to hear about, the X-Men had begun getting very nervous, as well as every other mutant who knew about it. Laura had then come up with the plan to get into the back-pocket of one of their top agents, someone with high clearance who would tell her everything, and use it to protect them.

They singled out Clint.

Must’ve helped having a telepath that could see into everyone’s minds. Laura had assured him, though, that Professor Charles Xavier was very firm about both controlling the powers and not abusing them. It was a philosophy that he taught to all of his students. And Laura had been very clear that Wanda’s power use and ability had been very suspect and extremely dangerous.

‘Suspect?’ Tony asked.

‘So she can get an entire crowd to move into Fury’s helicarrier with no panic, and she can tear huge scores of drones apart, including tearing out Ultron’s heart with no trouble, but she can’t contain a simple bomb?’ Laura cocked an eyebrow. ‘Believe that and I’ve got a bridge in Brooklyn I can sell you. I grew up in Xavier’s school. I have seen countless examples of telekinesis and mental interfacing. With those powers, control is consistent.’

‘So you think she wasn’t motivated to contain the bomb?’ Tony asked.

‘Rogers is a human shield to her,’ Laura said. ‘He’s protection against the consequences of her actions. He was the one she cared about saving.’ She frowned. ‘When Clint said Wanda and her brother were kids, I didn’t really think much of it. Then I found out they were in their mid-twenties. I asked some of the others to look into it. Even though Clint thinks himself immune to mental manipulation, he’s not. His brain learned how to see a direct attack coming, but not a gradual mental invasion. Wanda was projecting the image of them being children, first to make you Avengers reluctant to attack them and then as a way to absolve herself of her crimes. But they’re not misguided children. I know because I was one.’

Tony frowned. ‘What do you mean?’

Laura lifted a fist. _SNIKT!_ Two sharp metal claws shot out from between her opposing knuckles of the fist. ‘DNA from my father was stolen and used to create me. I was intended to be a weapon for a clandestine government operation that they called the Weapons Plus Program. It was designed to create living weapons. I was born into this. My entire purpose in life was supposed to be to kill anyone I was told to kill. That was until my father found me.’

‘And he taught you better?’ Tony asked.

‘Him, and the mutants at Xavier’s school,’ Laura said. ‘And all records of the Weapons Plus Program suddenly found themselves attacked by a data-eating virus.’

Which, of course, brought Tony to a conclusion. ‘You weren’t really off the books, were you?’

‘No. It was just some extensive hacking that left Clint with that impression. You didn’t really think a mere sniper would be off the books, did you?’

Well, it did sound odd at the time. Tony had assumed it was because Clint was high-ranking in S.H.I.E.L.D.’s halls. ‘So you used your powers to fight them off?’

‘Not just me,’ Laura said. ‘Cooper and Lila’s powers manifested in the moment – which is known to happen. Those HYDRA agents walked into the house but they never walked out of it. Clint, at the time, was far enough away, and enough of a non-thinker, for the X-Men to clean the place up so it looked like nothing had happened.’

‘And then hack in and make it look like you were off the books.’ Tony nodded. ‘And old Nicky never got sus?’

‘Nope.’ Laura looked amused. ‘He couldn’t remember ordering it but, as he himself said, he gives an order every minute or so, so he’s gonna forget a few of them.’

Tony got his own sense of amusement out of it. ‘So, basically, you guys outspied the spies.’

Laura smirked. ‘Funny thing about thinking you’re the best at everything, and having a system based on favouritism. It’s really easy to pull the wool over your eyes.’

‘Favouritism?’ Tony asked.

‘Romanoff, Coulson, Hill, and Barton are Fury’s favourite agents, for different reasons,’ Laura said. ‘Hill gets everything done fast without being told. Coulson will calmly do anything he’s told to, even kill. Romanoff sucks at reading people, but she can manipulate them like no one’s business. Barton doesn’t think. You point him at a target, give him orders, and he doesn’t think. He does what he’s told.’

Tony nodded. ‘Something you’ve clearly taken advantage of, his not thinking.’

‘I didn’t have to,’ Laura said. ‘We were a fantasy for him: the life he wants but can never have. That’s what we took advantage of. Do you disapprove?’

Tony shrugged. ‘All’s fair in love and war.’

**Author's Note:**

> This is basically just the bare bones of the idea. I'll probably write it into a full story at a later date, when I'm finished with my current projects.
> 
> I think one other author did something similar, with a story shortly after CACW aired, but I can't remember which it was.


End file.
